I have been riding an older chro-moly road bike with clip on aerobars for the past two triathlon seasons. This Schwinn Passage has been very respectable for allowing me to train and race. While I never was able to average over 19 miles an hour in a race or training session even in my best shape, it was a perfect starting bike and one I’m hoping to keep to use on the leisurely family rides.

So this week with the blessing of my wonderful wife, I upped for a new triathlon bike. Here are the specifications:

While some of the components lack some to be desired (especially the wheelset), it is a significant upgrade over the previous road bike I was using. My first ride yesterday was a good, windy ride that averaged almost 19 miles an hour. While still no where near the speed I want to be, I noticed a significant difference going up hills and maintaining a strong speed. While I couldn’t get the bike to go any faster down hill (the benefits of heavier tires I suspect), the saving energy in the other areas and maintaining speed on the longer flats is well worth it.